“Its ingenious method of banging the clam against an exposed coral skeleton to get at the soft flesh inside was amazing to watch and demonstrated that tool use does indeed go beyond the intelligence of primates and birds.

“The Deep is home to another, more colourful, species of tusk fish – the Harlequin tusk fish. Its vivid orange and blue stripes really make it stand out from the crowd.

“Like other tusk fish, its large crushing fangs enable it to break open the tough shells of cockles, mussels and clams. When they reach maturity the teeth of these fish turn bright blue, adding to the intrigue.”

David Attenborough provides commentary on Blue Planet II

As well as gaining an insight into the weird and wonderful world of our seas, conservation is also a big part of the television series.

“The Deep demonstrates the diversity of our world’s oceans,” Suzanne said. “Sadly many of these are now under threat.”

Here Suzanne discusses some of the marine life which features at The Deep and its importance to the global environment.

Coral

Coral pictured at The Deep in Hull

The next episode of Blue Planet focuses on coral reefs and The Deep actually cultivates its own coral.

“There are over 2,500 species of coral inhabiting our world’s reefs, with over 1,000 of these essential to building the structure of the coral reef itself,” Suzanne said.

“Apart from being beautiful in structure and colouration, coral reefs are an essential nursery ground for a number of fish and shark species. Many of these juveniles wouldn’t survive if they were suddenly forced into the open ocean.

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“Unfortunately, corals are dying off at an alarming rate due to global warming and ocean acidification. They act as a buffer from storm surges and rising tides and are home to 25 per cent of all marine life on the planet.”

Sharks

Grey reef shark at The Deep

Sharks have already featured on Blue Planet II with six gills seen greedily devouring a whale carcass.

Hull is home to a variety of sharks, including nurse, epaulette, zebra and reef sharks who could all yet feature in the series.

“There are over 500 species of shark in the world,” Suzanne said. “They can be found in just about every ocean habitat, from the shallow tropical reefs and the deepest of seas to the coldest Arctic Ocean.

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“Occurring in all shapes and sizes, they range from the smallest dwarf lantern shark (the length of an adults hand) to the enormous whale shark which, at 12 metres, is the largest fish in the world.

“Spotting sharks in the water is an indicator that a habitat is healthy, most definitely a species that should be welcomed not feared.”

Jellyfish

Moon jellyfish at The Deep

A field of tiny glowing jellyfish feature in the trailer for Blue Planet II so expect them to make an appearance at some point. The Deep has its fair share of the ghostly marine creatures.

“Despite their name, jellyfish are not actually fish but a type of large gelatinous plankton,” Suzanne said. “With a fast reproductive rate and short lifespan, they are an important food source for animals such as large fish, turtles and even other jellyfish.

“They act as drifting nurseries for juvenile fish and crabs, protected from predators by a wall of stinging trailing tentacles.”

Penguins

Gentoo penguins at The Deep in Hull (Image: The Deep)

Blue Planet II will cover all aspects of ocean life so it will be a surprise if the charismatic penguin doesn’t make an appearance.

The 13 gentoo penguins at The Deep have become stars of the aquarium since arriving three years ago.

“There are 18 species of penguin in the world,” Suzanne said, “with the largest being the emperor penguin and the smallest the little penguin. In all, of these are classed as threatened or endangered due to a reduced number of fish and loss of habitat.

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“But penguins do more than make us smile – they are an important link between the land and sea. Carrying nutrients between both habitats, their faeces are an essential fertiliser, enriching both the soil and the seabed."

Turtles

Loggerhead turtle at The Deep in Hull

This iconic species will feature heavily in Sunday’s episode on corals which will show green turtles being pampered by fish who will clean the animals of parasites and algae.

The Deep has recently taken in two previously injured loggerhead turtles who have settled well in the Endless Ocean tank.

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“All seven turtle species are considered threatened or endangered,” Suzanne said. “Man-made threats such as pollution, habitat destruction and the loss of nesting beaches are all contributing to population decline.

“Having been around for millions of years, they truly are ancient beings. Only able to breed from 35-40 years old, they live most of their lives at sea, only returning to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs.”

Starfish

Starfish at The Deep in Hull

Such is their numbers and variety, you will see starfish appear throughout the Blue Planet II series and there are plenty at The Deep which you can even handle in the touch tank sessions.

“Also known as sea stars, anyone who has seen a starfish will know that it bears no resemblance to a fish,” Suzanne said.

“There are around 2,000 species of starfish living in our world’s oceans, from the tropical waters to the freezing Arctic and from shallow reefs to the deep sea. So named for their typical five-armed appearance, there are some with ten, 20 and even 40 arms!"

Medical importance

Suzanne and other marine experts and conservationists hope the popularity of programmes like Blue Planet II will raise awareness of the oceans’ importance.

“It’s clear the animals in the ocean depend on each other for survival,” she said, “and we depend on the oceans for the survival of the land.

“But our dependence on them runs even deeper than a means for food, industry and tourism. Many marine species have contribute to ground-breaking medical diagnosis and treatments.

“Did you know that barnacles have helped create ‘Medhesive’, a bacteria resistant surgical glue that can be used both inside and outside of the body to repair life threatening wounds and injuries.

“Pain relief for those resistant to morphine has been derived from the venomous cone snails and glowing cells found in jellyfish are being used to find tumours hidden deep within the body.

“Marine sponges are already being used to stop advanced breast cancer cells in their tracks. It’s strikingly obvious that if we want to save ourselves, we need to save the ocean – the life source of this planet.”

The Deep's stars that should feature on Blue Planet II

There have been two episodes of the show so far with the humble tusk fish the only animal to feature on the show which can also be seen at The Deep.

A grouper will feature in this Sunday’s episode which can use sign language. The Deep has its own potato grouper called Eddie but it has no other groupers to chat to!

We pick some of the creatures at The Deep which could and should feature on Blue Planet II.

Green sawfish at The Deep in Hull

Green sawfish - found in The Deep’s Endless Oceans tank, sawfish are a type of ray.

These strange looking fish are specialised feeders who use their impressive toothed rostrum to sift through the sand in search of prey and can immobilise them with one hard swipe.

Atlantic mudskipper at The Deep in Hull

Atlantic mudskipper - found next to The Deep’s Lagoon of Light, this amphibious fish can walk on land using its specialised pectoral fins during low tide.

Their party trick is the ability to roll their eyeballs in their specialised water-filled sockets to refresh their faces and gills with oxygenated water, which allows them to breathe on land.

Living in the world’s mangrove forests, these are highly sensitive creatures with great ecological importance.

Parrotfish at The Deep in Hull

Bicolor parrotfish - found in The Deep’s lagoon tank, parrotfish come in an exciting array of colours and has an unusually shaped mouth.

Scraping algae and food from coral reefs, they ingest a lot of rock, which is excreted as fine white sand – the stuff we like to sunbathe on.

They also have another trick up their sleeve by tucking themselves into bed at night in a cosy mucus sleeping bag, protecting them from parasites and predators.

How 'Big Clive' looks now. (Image: The Deep)

Porcupine pufferfish - the Deep’s pufferfish can be found in the lagoon tank. This fish is pretty cute, but there is no denying it’s an oddball.

Pufferfish have the ability to inflate their body to twice its size when threatened, making its sharp spines stick up. Despite its spiky exterior, this fish has a fun and quirky personality – but it is highly venomous.

Wolf eel at The Deep in Hull

Wolf eel - found in The Deep’s Cool Seas exhibit this creature is not a wolf, nor is it an eel.

These animals are relatively shy but they have one of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom.

Their fang-like teeth are designed to deliver a nasty bite which is perfect for eating sea urchins and crabs.